I've recently became interested in Puppy due to it's size and ability to store on thumb drive. I was able to burn the image onto a disc and install on my laptop, which is about a year old. I also was able to install the O/S on a thumb drive and am able to boot from that for both my laptop and my desktop. (I'm very happy that the O/S works with my wireless NIC in both computers. I've struggled in the past with this when I've played around with Debian and Ubuntu). I'm currently typing this while running Puppy on my laptop. So, the reason for the post is that I've got an older laptop, 2001 Toshiba, that I would like to run Puppy on. Basically, I would like to set this us for my kids to surf the net and help with their homework. The CD/DVD drive on this lap top died years ago. It runs XP but has become very slow and I'm unable to reinstall XP as the CD/DVD drive doesn't work. As such, I'd like to boot puppy from my thumb drive and let my kids us this PC.

As noted before, I was able to save Puppy on a thumb drive. I followed the directions from this excellent guide.. http://puppylinux.org/main/Puppy430-tutorial-English.pdf. Accordingly, I set up the USB install as a "ComboFormatt". This was supposed to work with most PCs that allow a boot from USB. So, now I'm not sure if my Toshiba will boot from the USB. In the boot options, it lists Removable Devices - Legacy Floppy Drives, Hard Drive, Network Boot, CD-ROM/DVD Drive. I changed the order so Removable Devices is listed first, but no luck - it won't boot from the thumb drive. (The USB drive does blink during boot up, but it still boots with XP.). Although the boot options includes Removable Devices, this lap top has no floppy drives, so I assume this means USB or SD card. (I have a built in SD card reader). How do I know for certain if this PC will boot from USB?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

ghughes20Last edited by ghughes20 on Tue 04 Jan 2011, 08:45; edited 1 time in total

I use the Lin'N'Win method and have no need to boot from USB on this XP PC._________________Time savers:
Find packages in a snap and install using Puppy Package Manager (Menu).
Consult Wikka
Use peppyy's puppysearch

You have to check out your pc's Bios, usually by pressing some key before the main system boots up -like 'Del' or F8 on my case-.
You have to change some boot up information, putting the USB (if its available as an option) before the hard drive on the boot up order.
I also read the Grant Wilson book and if you search it, you'll see this information explained (with pics of his Pc's BIOS and the order mentioned before).
Good Luck!_________________

I am able to get into the bios, but the problem is I don't see boot "from USB". I do see an option called boot "from Removeable Devices - Legacy Floppy Drive", which is currently listed first, but this doesn't boot from USB when the USB is plugged in.

I downloaded the book by Grant Wilson and will go thru that for additional insights.

I am able to get into the bios, but the problem is I don't see boot "from USB". I do see an option called boot "from Removeable Devices - Legacy Floppy Drive", which is currently listed first, but this doesn't boot from USB when the USB is plugged in.

I downloaded the book by Grant Wilson and will go thru that for additional insights.

It's too old to have usb boot.
It would be possible if you had a cd or floppy drive.
Installing the hard drive in another laptop or using a 2.5 to 3.5 pc
ide adapter would work.
Toshiba probably has 1.8 drive and would need 1.8 to 3.5._________________
Inspiron 700m, Pent.M 1.6Ghz, 1Gb ram.
Msi Wind U100, N270 1.6>2.0Ghz, 1.5Gb ram.
Eeepc 8g 701, 900Mhz, 1Gb ram.
Full installs

First, thank you all for your suggestions. The solution was simple. I upgraded my BIOS on my laptop from the Toshiba website and was finally able to boot from the USB that I had created from my other (newer) laptop.

Good.
For the sake of fellow posters could you edit the subject of your initial post and add [SOLVED] at the end._________________Time savers:
Find packages in a snap and install using Puppy Package Manager (Menu).
Consult Wikka
Use peppyy's puppysearchLast edited by Béèm on Tue 04 Jan 2011, 08:11; edited 1 time in total

When I upgraded to the new BIOS, I noticed that my USB drive appeared under the Hard Drive, basically, it listed two items under Hard Drive - the HD and the UBS. I disabled the HD and it finally booted to Puppy from the USB.

If it were made in 2001 it would not have that function.
That Tosh. came out in 2004.
A very good Puppy machine._________________
Inspiron 700m, Pent.M 1.6Ghz, 1Gb ram.
Msi Wind U100, N270 1.6>2.0Ghz, 1.5Gb ram.
Eeepc 8g 701, 900Mhz, 1Gb ram.
Full installs

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